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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
    • 6,461 views
annanwater's blog
 

Valentine's Swap Questions ^_^

I'm going to copy the original questions + the ones added later (minus personal information) so it's all in one place.     Anything you specifically don’t want (do you not like fur or have too much soap already etc.)? Nope, nothing.   Fave colors: Green, orange, red.   Fave Scent notes: Amber, spices, vanilla, red musk -- warm and/or spicy stuff, basically. I also like lavender, and am attempting to rediscover a love for rose.   Fave flavors: Spice (cinnamon, chili pepper, nutmeg, etc.), vanilla, orange, cherry, lavender, jasmine.   Do you prefer “traditional” or anatomical hearts? Anatomical, but I like both.   Fave flower: Tiger lily.   Favorite candy/chocolate/dessert: Dark chocolate in general...no preference otherwise.   Fave Author/Poet: Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, ee cummings   What kind of poems do you like? I enjoy all kinds.   Sock size: Er, medium?   Shirt Size: Medium.   Would you like makeup/lip balm/nail polish? Sure! I could especially use some new lip balms/glosses/tints/whatever. Plum, red, pink, brown, mauve...anything but coral/orange and blue, purple, and other such wilder colours. I can also always use more nail polish -- any colour for that.   Would you like bath/body stuff? Sure!   Would you like hair accesories/clips? Alas, my hair is too short.   Would you like candles,incense, or wax tarts? Absolutely -- particularly fond of incense.   Would you be offended by things of a risqué/adult nature (nipple pasties, genital shaped soap or chocolate, etc.)? Not at all, rather the opposite.   Anything else you want your swapper to know? Not that I can think of at the moment.   Wishlist links: Wishlist!   Would you prefer a poem or romance novel & what type of romance novel? I like both, and am basically easy to please. If a romance novel, one without too much damsel in distress action is always good.   How do you feel about burned mix cds (good time for mood music *giggle*)? Definitely in favor.   Do you have metal/ jewelry allergies? Nope.   Do you bake/would you be interested in baked goods or related mixes? Yes! I love baking, and I love eating baked goods.   Do you like cute stationery, stickers, note cards, stuff like that? Absolutely! Note cards especially.   Do you like tea? If so, do you prefer your tea loose or in tea bags? I do, and I don't have a preference between loose leaf and bags. I'd say mint tea is the only thing that doesn't really do it for me.   What is your favorite Valentine candy? Don't actually have one.   Would you enjoy some loose beads for your own crafts, or any other crafty bits? I paint and sketch, so small bits toward that would be lovely. Most stuff for those two tends to be more pricey, but I have nothing against those super cheap acrylic paints, cheap erasers, whatever.   Would you rather get things all together or in a couple of doses? No preference!   Kid/Parent/church lady safe or not? Definitely not necessary.   Length of necklace, size of bracelet, post or dangle earrings preferred? I don't have a necklace length preference, and don't really wear bracelets (I break them too easily). Dangle earrings are preferred, but I wear both. I prefer post earrings on the small side, because my piercings are rather close together.   Stuffed critters or other things of the cuddly variety? Love them!   Would you mind receiving an in person delivery from your Cupid? With forewarning that would be awesome, but I don't think anyone lives in my area.   For those who don't do jewelry/have a prohibitive amount of metal sensitivities, etc., would you prefer something like a keychain charm or other little ornamental thing? I don't have any sensitivities, but I'd still love anything like that.   For you chocolate lovers - do you like yours plain or with nuts? If nuts are good, which kind? I like both! Almonds are my favorite. I do not like peanuts, but otherwise we're good to go.   Do you like hot cocoa? Yes! All kinds. (I sometimes feel sorry for my Cupid...I know I'm terribly unhelpful sometimes.)   Does anyone have any strong objection to gently used items? Nope, none at all! As long as it's not like, gently used edible panties or something.
annanwater

annanwater

0
Ancilla's Blog
 

Valentine Cupid questions!

Would you prefer a poem or romance novel & what type of romance novel? Romance novel! I like historical romance. But nothing too cheesy! Please no vampire stuff.   How do you feel about burned mix cds (good time for mood music *giggle*)? I love mix CDs   Do you have metal/ jewelry allergies? Nope.   Do you bake/would you be interested in baked goods or related mixes? I can't, unfortunately. Unless my person knows how to bake low carb / sugar free.   Do you like cute stationery, stickers, note cards, stuff like that? Oh yes! I love anything Sanrio or Japanese/Korean in general. Do you like tea? If so, do you prefer your tea loose or in tea bags? love tea. I prefer bags, because it takes too damn long to fill my metal strainer and then empty/wash it. My favorite tea is Earl Grey, I'd like to try some variations of it. I also really like the Tazo Vanilla Rooibos tea (the kind they have at Starbucks) but haven't gotten around to buying some.   What is your favorite Valentine candy? Mine has always been Red Hots (or red cinnamon bears, I really really LOVE Cinnamon candy) and those cherry valentine heart lollipops. If you could find those sugar free, I would love you forever. I really hate Conversation Hearts.   Knitted items? I knit myself pretty well, but I could use a nice afghan square knitted or crocheted 12" x 12" in a dark blue, green, grey or black if my Cupid is crafty. I am replacing afghan squares from the Afghan swap due to the people that dropped out and it would be nice if I had one less to knit to finish my blanket! Would you enjoy some loose beads for your own crafts, or any other crafty bits? No thanks, I would love some yarn though! Would you rather get things all together or in a couple of doses? I kind of like getting a few packages, but it is exciting to be expecting a big one! Kid/Parent/church lady safe or not? Sure! I'm not really into penis soaps though lol Length of necklace, size of bracelet, post or dangle earrings preferred? I like 17 or 18" chains, small simple pendants, my wrist is about 6", and I like post earrings   Stuffed critters or other things of the cuddly variety? I would really love a stuffed animal I like snow leopards, and just your traditional Teddy bear <3   For those who don't do jewelry/have a prohibitive amount of metal sensitivities, etc., would you prefer something like a keychain charm or other little ornamental thing? No thanks, I do like jewelry but it doesn't have to be fancy. I like simple things
ancilla_morte

ancilla_morte

0
Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

Planning a Lupercalia order (mini breakdown)

First of all, quoting myself:     .....looks like I got my wish with a few of these. I also noticed a fair bit of chypres or chypre-like scents. I'm excited but I think I can narrow these down to just one or two bottles, and maybe a handful of decants. There were quite a few scents that I was able to remove from the list without hesitation.   Color key: Bottle Decant Shimmery Chypre Black text means still up in the air about whether to hunt down a decant, put it on wish list for later, or let it pass by altogether   OLISBOS 2011 – polished wood, well-loved leather, and olive oil. This has possibilities, but I'm not very hopeful. It's a possible decant just to try it because I don't want to rule it out completely. Olive oil will probably make this smell strange and not for me. We'll see, maybe.   RED LANTERN 2011 – Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice. This sounds so sensual and appealing. I'm almost positive I've tried one of the older versions, but I don't own any and I may want a decant this time around.   TIME DOES NOT BRING RELIEF – Remembrance: Parma violet and leather accord with beeswax, Egyptian musk, orange blossom, white tea, lavender, myrrh, and copal. Kind of a half 'n half list of notes, some I like and some I don't like. It's worth a try. I think it could be too soapy or perfumey.     ++ LUPERCALIA: NOVEL IDEAS FOR SECRET AMUSEMENTS   BURNING VULVA – Vanilla-infused amber, leather, beeswax, cyclamen, oakmoss, peru balsam, orange blossom, red ginger, tonka, opoponax, myrrh, and black pepper. This is in the running for a bottle! I will watch the will-call posts for impressions.   COUPLE ENGAGED IN LOVEMAKING – Honey, lemongrass, black tea, white ginger, and grains. Well, this is a possible decant but it might get squeezed out by others with higher priority. There is something appealing in the combination of notes but honey might be a sticking point. I used to think I hated honey in perfume but now I'm not even sure any more. Sometimes it's okay.   COPULATING MICE – Bergamot, clove, hazelnut, pecan, lavender, tonka, and thyme. Perfectly cute scent, would be a good decant choice. I don't like nuts in my perfume but I want to try this. And who knows, it could surprise me.   DANCING KOI – Brown musk, leather accord, toasted sandalwood, clove, labdanum, and champaca. Brown musk worries me but I want a penis scent, and this looks like the one most likely to work for me. Toasted sandalwood in combination with brown musk might be too fuzzy and.....brown. I know I have to try this, for sure, and it might be a bottle purchase.   FESTIVAL MASK – Rubbed sage, ti leaf, osmanthus, immortelle, patchouli, amber, and mandarin. Could be nice, interesting notes, worth a try. Decant but not bottle (unless it surprises me, of course, but that goes for all of these).   HARIGATA II – Coconut, white amber, hazelnut, and anise. See above note about me wanting shimmery white scents. Hello, here is one! Could be odd, but it's worth a try.   LOOSENING OF THE OBI – Rice wine, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, and white musk. Again with the shimmery/white scents for spring. I want to try it!   SPRINGTIME PLAYFULNESS – Green and brown musks, coconut husk, wisteria, lemongrass, hydrangea, cranberry, woody sandalwood, and ripe squash. Hmmmm...another penis possibility (I love trying the penis scents). Can't imagine what this will smell like, so obviously I need to try it, right? That artwork is simply too much. I may have to get it for the label alone. That is high quality comedy.   TEA – Darjeeling tea, lemon verbena, star anise, and honeycomb. Hmmm....sounds like a nice, fresh spring scent. Not my usual thing (and there's that honeycomb.....), but looks to be worth a try.   YOUNG PINE SAPLINGS – Cream, clove, ginger, and honey. Have to really think about this one! I love spicey scents and this looks like a good one. I'm not afraid of the cream as much as the honey, but combined with spices that honey might be tamed. Definitely need to try this one.     ++ LUPERCALIA: ODE TO APHRODITE   APATOUROS – Deceptive One – Black fig, green tea, opoponax, ciste absolute, myrrh, carnation, nutmeg, and Brazilian vetiver. I'm guessing this will have a citrus vibe, grounded by spices and vetiver. It's worth a try but might be too much like some other scents I have. I might have to compare this to some of last year's Lupers that did not work, so I can compare notes and decide if I want to even try it.   APHROGENÊS – Foam Born – Orris root, iris, white honey, white sandalwood, coconut, and cherry blossom. Again with the white and shimmery. I have discovered that I like white sandalwood (I used to think I didn't like it). Yup, probably have to try this one. KYTHERIAN – She Who Conceals Love-Affaris – Black narcissus, purple orchid, neroli, white sandalwood, ambergris, plum musk, jonquil, thyme, oakmoss, and grapefruit. I'm curious bacause this sounds like a floral chypre. It looks interesting.   NIKÊPHOROS – Bringer of Victory – Black currant, patchouli, blood orange, oakmoss, galbanum, benzoin, and white mint. Another chypre? Want to try.     ++ LUPERCALIA: VENUSTAS   MALE NUDE, ARMS UPSTRETCHED – Dark musk, linen, and red chypre. Yes please! My number one choice for immediate bottle purchase, unsniffed. Wasn't there a white chypre in one of the Yule scents? I wish the lab would give us a whole series of chypres of different hues. I'd have to try all of them! MANILUS HURLED FROM THE ROCK – Frankincense, leather accord, sandalwood, Himalayan cedar, nutmeg, and violet leaf. I've been flip-flopping on wanting to try this, but I think I'm going to have to try a decant. I almost want to pass it up but it has just enough potential.   THE RING – Antiqued amber, frankincense, patchouli, hay, oakmoss, skin musk, and white mint. Hmm, another chypre-like scent?? Sounds pretty interesting, and I think I'll definitely have to try this.   WRESTLERS – Vetiver, guiac wood, peru of balsam, two musks, labdanum, saffron, and rum accord. Another must try, but it may not work. This is another scent that I'm having trouble imagining what it will smell like. I'd like to find out!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
hyperhaggis' Blog
 

Current swaplist

5mls:   Berry Moon 5ml x 2 June Gloom Misk V Junior Baseball Assoc Ho Ho Ho Mother Shub's Spiced Lait de Chevre Miaiphonos Strawberry Moon 09 Bat of Good Death Bat of Virtue Fire Pig Earth Rat - TOL Earth Ox - TOL Creepy 2006 - wand cap Dragon's Eye Obatala   Decants:   Marshmallow Poof (full and only sniffed) Treat #2 (full and only sniffed) Egg'd Mailbox (full and only sniffed)
hyperhaggis

hyperhaggis

0
Switch Witch 2010 Q&A
 

2011 Be My Valentine Swap

Do you have a preference for a poem or romance novel and what type of Romance novel? *** Probably erotica of the NSFW kind. Poetry or paranormal type stuff is ok too. How do you feel about burned mix cds (good time for mood music *giggle*)? Fascinated. I love new experiences, and am intrigued by new music. Do you have metal/ jewelry allergies? Nope.   Do you bake/would you be interested in baked goods or related mixes? Definitely. Just make sure that any mixes are less-than-complicated, for my family's safety.   Do you like cute stationery, stickers, note cards, stuff like that? Yes, very much so.   Do you like tea? If so, do you prefer your tea loose or in tea bags? Tea is wonderful. Jasmine, flavored black teas, green teas. Tea bags are my favorite, but I do have a couple of diffuser balls I use occasionally. Caveat: if it is herbal, and naturally caffeine-free, that's ok. A perfectly good tea that has been artificially decaffeinated is an abomination! What is your favorite Valentine candy? Anything geeky or caffeinated. Like a gummy anatomical heart, or chocolate-covered espresso beans.   1-21   How would you feel about receiving a knitted / crocheted gift? What kinds of yarny things would you enjoy (scarf, hat, mitts, cowl, socks, etc)? What are your favorite colors for wearable accessories? That sounds awesome - but no worries if not. I'm not the crafty type, so I hope my partner/victim isn't disappointed at the lack of hand-crafted items in their package. That's what retail is for, yep.   1-22   Would you enjoy some loose beads for your own crafts, or any other crafty bits? Amigurumi books, maybe? Trying to learn to crochet, and I enjoy cross-stitch. At your discretion! Anything sent is loved.   Would you rather get things all together or in a couple of doses? I love small packages, but for this swap probably one big box would be most cost-effective. Again, all at your discretion.   Kid/Parent/church lady safe or not? Meh. Valentine's day/Lupercalia probably shouldn't be...   Length of necklace, size of bracelet, post or dangle earrings preferred? Choker-style necklace, or long & dangly. Either style of earrings, I wear them both. Nothing horribly heavy, though.   Stuffed critters or other things of the cuddly variety? Fun! I have some of that kind of thing on my etsy favorites, just as a guide to what has caught my eye in the past.   1-23   Would you mind receiving an in person delivery from your Cupid? Not at all, but somehow I doubt that geographically that would work out.   For those who don't do jewelry/have a prohibitive amount of metal sensitivities, etc., would you prefer something like a keychain charm or other little ornamental thing? Sure!   1-25 For you chocolate lovers - do you like yours plain or with nuts? If nuts are good, which kind? Pecans, mmmm. Plain or with nuts are both good. And disappear quickly around this house.   Do you like hot cocoa? Sure.   Does anyone have any strong objection to gently used items? No used clothing or shoes, please. Used books are wonderful. Just for fun, the original questionnaire answers:   Allergies: None   Anything you specifically don't want (do you not like fur or have too much soap already etc.): Don't like onions? Can't think of anything specific other than that!   Fave colors: Sapphire Blue, Forest Green, Blood Red - dark, intense, vibrant colors   Fave Scent notes: Cinnamon, coffee - Scent Notes   fave flavors - cinnamon, dark chocolate, pumpkin, pineapple... Open to trying new things too. But no onions.   Do you prefer "traditional" or anatomical hearts? Anatomical, by preference But a cute traditional heart is always fun.   Fave flower: Daffodils   Favorite candy/chocolate/dessert: Cheesecake, tiramisu   Fave Author/Poet: It's hard to narrow it down. Perhaps Sheri Tepper for author, Omar Khayyam for poet? And Lewis Carroll for both.   What kind of poems do you like? Imaginative ones.   Sock size: Women's 9-11   Shirt Size: XL   Would you like makeup/lip balm/nail polish? Sure! Mineral makeup, flavored lip balms, dark and/or glow in the dark nail polish are all good.   Would you like bath/body stuff? Yep.   Would you like hair accesories/clips? Sure   Would you like candles,incense, or wax tarts? Wax tarts or candles are used more than incense around here.   Would you be offended by things of a risqué/adult nature (nipple pasties, genital shaped soap or chocolate, etc.)? Oh, my innocent eyes and ears! On that note, the other day in the BDSM thread I saw this fascinating idea... No, it's pretty hard to offend me.   Anything else you want your swapper to know: Please, please - answer questions! I have done a few swaps so far, and the thing that makes the most difference to me is having more information! It's so frustrating when I have to try and read minds, because I suck at it. Post wishlists - answers- ask for the Taj Mahal! I may not be able to pull it off, but at least I'll know what you like!   Wishlist links: I have a ton of wishlist links in my profile/about me page. I love to window shop, and it's been a good place to keep them all together.
SnappingTurtle

SnappingTurtle

0
stariel's BPAL Blog
 

Valentine Swap Questions 1-13 to 1-25

1-13 Would you prefer a poem or romance novel & what type of romance novel?   I don't read much in the way of romance novels, though I have read some very trashy vampire ones just for fun. Any good paranormal one that isn't too romancey would be good - I just read Soulless and really enjoyed that. Poetry is good too!   How do you feel about burned mix cds (good time for mood music *giggle*)?   I already have an anti-Valentine playlist that I listen to, since I pretend to be bitter and single. (I am single, just not actually bitter.) But I'd take a listen if my cupid wants to make me a mix CD!   Do you have metal/ jewelry allergies?   I generally try to stick with silver or surgical steel for earrings, since I have had reactions in the past, I'm just not sure what metals they were.   1-14   Do you bake/would you be interested in baked goods or related mixes?   I do bake and would love baked goods, though keep in mind that I live alone when choosing the quantity. (I'm still eating cookies sent by a minion of my winter SW - luckily they freeze well and she packaged them in three smaller airtight containers!) I usually bake for work meetings since then I can foist most of it off on my coworkers.   1-15   Do you like cute stationery, stickers, note cards, stuff like that?   Love it! I have quite a bit of stationery, but I do use it up. I'm a big fan of stickers too.   Do you like tea? If so, do you prefer your tea loose or in tea bags?   I do like tea, mostly herbal tea and flavored black teas, and especially chai! Loose or bagged is fine, I use both kinds regularly.   Would you enjoy some loose beads for your own crafts, or any other crafty bits?   I don't really do any beading, though I did long ago... I occasionally use beads in knitting, but those are sort of specific to the project. I'm pretty set on yarn crafty supplies, but I am just learning to machine sew, so if there are any small useful things I'd be happy to get them! So far I have a sewing machine, a large pin cushion, cheap straight pins, and a cheap seam ripper.   Would you rather get things all together or in a couple of doses?   Whatever is best for my Cupid is fine with me, it's such a short time frame and shipping is expensive.   Kid/Parent/church lady safe or not?   I don't have any children and live alone, and I'm not a church lady. But I am a bit of a prude, so mildly risque is fine, totally out there is probably not!   Length of necklace, size of bracelet, post or dangle earrings preferred?   I am lazy, so I rarely change jewelry. I've been wearing the same necklace most days for months, and I generally sleep in it / shower in it etc. I do like the length (it's a little pendant on a 19" chain) My wrist is just under 6.25" circumference, and the base of my hand isn't much bigger, so 7" or less is probably best. I mainly just wear small post earrings - I have larger ones in my bottom ear piercing - but those are gauged to 12, so as far as "regular" earrings go they're confined to my top two holes in each ear, and there isn't a ton of room.   Stuffed critters or other things of the cuddly variety?   Love them! Though I already have many, so I'll invoke the "if it's special" rule. If it's handmade or seems just perfect for me, then I'll gladly have it, but there's no need to go buy me yet another stuffie.   Would you mind receiving an in person delivery from your Cupid?   I think it would be fun, but you'd have to find a secret way to make sure I'm at home... that rarely happens.   For those who don't do jewelry/have a prohibitive amount of metal sensitivities, etc., would you prefer something like a keychain charm or other little ornamental thing?   My keychain is a bit full at the moment, but I do switch things out now and again (especially since things knocking around with my keys tend to break after a while).   For you chocolate lovers - do you like yours plain or with nuts? If nuts are good, which kind?   Either, though I do love chocolate with nuts. Almonds and hazelnuts are some of my faves, but coconut is also good (and not exactly a nut...)   Do you like hot cocoa?   Yes! I do like it! Oh, I forgot to mention in my questionnaire, but if you send something like hot cocoa, I'd like the full sugar variety without artificial sweeteners... they don't like me much. I really like mint and caramel flavored ones too.   Does anyone have any strong objection to gently used items?   Nope used is fine, aside from the obvious gross exceptions (like undies).
stariel

stariel

0
dicyfer's Blog
 

Wish list

I am new to perfumes in general, so these are just the things that popped out to me as interesting. I've never actually tried any of them. As such, I am only looking for imps. As far as BPAL stuff I only have various imps to offer, but I will include some advanced-copy books and San Diego Comic-con items in exchange for generous offers.   Stared items are things I'm most interested in.     Stormclouds over the Midway** Midnight on the Midway* Cykranoshian Catnip 51 Night Thoughts Bijoux Umbra Worm Moon Tears Plunder The Coil Wanda Event Horizon Kubla Khan Leanan Sidhe Omen Ouija The Raven Black Annis Djinn Ekhina Medea Nephilism Nocuitsa Troll Villain Lilith Ogun Thanatos The Apothecary* Titus Androniais The Dormouse* Godfather Death The Witch’s Garden Thorns Baba Yoga Moonshine and Mist The Night-Raven Black Lily Sloth Galvanic Goggles The Emathides Purple Phoenix Violet Ray Morgause Somnus Tisiphone Intrigue Queen of Spades Romanti.Goth Rivet.Goth Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument* The Illuminati Cotillion Inferno Ephemera The Harlot's House
dicyfer

dicyfer

0
spiresinthesnow's Blog
 

Ten Rules For Being Human

by Cherie Carter-Scott     1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period. 2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life." 3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work." 4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson. 5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned. 6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here." 7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. 8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours. 9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust. 10. You will forget all this.  
spiresinthesnow

spiresinthesnow

3
Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

New York, Parfums de Nicolai

Well, this was a happy discovery for me. Warm, sweet and woody citrus/ambery scent, light in throw, some kind of vanilla sweetness going on, kind of a simple scent, excellent for work. And reasonably priced! Hallelujah! I bought a bottle and this could be my new signature work scent.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

Ajmal, Torque

Smells like something from the 80's. A little spicy, woody. Smells good, I can use up my sample and probably forget about it, unless it really grows on me. Not likely....I have a dozen or so other scents that are like this and better.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
spark's blog
 

Bottles (to decant)

Ace of Hearts Arkham Revisited Bastet Bathsheba Bengal Black Pearl Blinding Glory of Love Block Buster Blood Countess Budding Moon Chrysanthemum Moon Croquet Dana O'Shee Dark Delicacies Dia de los Muertos 2005 Doc Constantine Dog Days of Summer Dorian Eat Me Elixir V: Moxie Elixir VII: Safari Faiza, the Black Mamba Gennivre, L'Artiste du Diable Gingerbread Poppet 2004 Harvest Moon 2005 Haunted Palace, the Herr Drosselmeyer 2005 Herr Drosselmeyer 2006 Himerus Hungry Ghost Moon Ides of March, the Jolasveinar 2006 Kali Kumiho La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente London Love in the Asylum Lyonesse Medea Mi-Go Brain Canister Midwinter's Eve 2005 Morocco Nefertiti Oblation, the (2007) Othello Perversion Pumpkin Patch I (Apple Cider) 2005 Pumpkin Patch II (Cocoa) 2005 Pumpkin Patch III (Pomegranate) 2005 Pumpkin Patch IV (Sandalwood) 2005 Pumpkin Patch V (Woods & Ivy) 2005 Queen Gertrude Queen Mab Queen of Clubs Rose Red 2004 Samhain 2004 Silk Road Snow Bunny 2005 Snow White 2004 Spooky 2004 Sudha Segara Temple: Celtic Temple: Egyptian Temple: Greek Thalassa, the Galapagos Mermaid Thalia: Good Cheer Tiger Lily White Light White Rose (Lupercalia 2009) Yuletide 2004 Zombi
spark

spark

0
Forget Everything And Remember
 

The Beginning, or How I Started Toward My Goals For 2011

I made three goals to be accomplished in three months. One is to start leadership classes with the Grove; one is to make and post things on Etsy; one is to start a regular exercise program.   I talked to the HP of the Grove and I'm supposed to start classes next Thursday, though I need to firm that up.   I have a goal of posting three things per week to Etsy; I haven't started making things but I've been paying attention to things that inspire me.   I've made the most progress on the exercise program. I decided to start running, using a Couch to 5k program. Fantastic, but if I try to walk or run while watching a stopwatch or timer, I'm going to run into something... and that's a best case scenario! Fortunately, I found a couple of C25K podcasts that give cues on when to run and when to walk, so I downloaded all 9 weeks' worth of programs. Mar found me a Minidisc player I can use until we can buy something else; I'm currently waiting for it to charge. Eventually I'll need new shoes, but until then, my trainers will work, although I may take out the insoles until the blisters on my heels heal. When I put them back, I'll stick some duct tape on my heels to give them some protection and reduce friction. In the meantime, I have those protective blister things that Band-Aid makes, except mine are Target brand, yay cheap but same quality! I even asked my orthopedist, aka knee doctor, and he encouraged me to try, as long as I do it smart. He approves of the C25K program, so that's good, and he suggested some pre-emptive Aleve or ibuprofen, and to make sure I ice.   So, here it is. Tomorrow when I get up, I'll grab some breakfast (probably a granola bar and maybe a yogurt) and find a water bottle and start running. I'm a little nervous, and I don't want to let myself down... I know it's gonna suck at first, especially when I first wake up, but I can do it.   I'm gonna start running. With bad knees. In the middle of winter. Yeah, I'm crazy... but I like to think it's a GOOD crazy.
Kitrona

Kitrona

0
Maps and Legends
 

Books for 2011

Books read/started/finished/etc. in 2011.   Read Entirely in 2011 1. I Shall Wear Midnight - Terry Pratchett (F) (YA) (S) (368 pages) 2. Lord John and the Hand of Devils - Diana Gabaldon (F) (SW) (S) 3. Hellboy: The Wild Hunt - Mike Mignola (F)(GN) (S) 4. Rough Country - John Sanford (S)(M) 5. Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (F)(S)(YA) 6. Steampunk - Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (SF) (SW) (400 pages) 7. Bread and Butter Indian - Anne Culver (YA) (R ) 8. Graphic Classics Edgar Allen Poe (GN) (partial reread for text) 9. The Shadows (Elsewhere Book 1) - Jacqueline West (YA) (F) 10. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan (YA) (F) (S) 11. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (F)(S)(YA) 12. Mad With Wonder - Frank Beddor, Sami Makkonen (GN) (F) 13. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan (YA) (F) (S) 14. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (F)(S)(YA) 15. Mystery and Dream - Charles DeLint (F) 16. The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan (YA) (F) (S) 17. The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan (YA)(F)(S) 18. The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan (YA)(F)(S) 19. Pale Demon - Kim Harrison (F)(V)(S) 20. The Blue Castle - L.M. Montgomery (YA) (R ) 21. Muse and Reverie - Charles de Lint (F)(SW) 22. River Marked - Patricia Briggs (S)(V) 23. The Mystery of Grace - Charles de Lint (F) 24. The Painted Boy - Charles de Lint (F)(YA) 25. Three Shadows - Cyril Pedrosa (GN) (F) 26. Burn - Nevada Barr (S)(M) 27. Dingo - Charles de Lint (F)(YA) 28. Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book - Tamora Pierce (YA)(F)(S) 29. Widdershins - Charles de Lint (F) 30. Chalice - Robin McKinley (F)® 31. Armagaddon's Children - Terry Brooks (F) © 32. Elves of Cintra - Terry Brooks (S)(F) 33. Storm Born - Rachelle Mead (S)(V)(F) 34. The Black Swan - Lee Carroll (S)(V)(F) 35. Angel Fire East - Terry Brooks (S)(F) 36. Thorn Queen - Rachelle Mead (S)(V)(F) 37. Freedom - Daniel Suarez (S) (SF) 38. Daemon - Daniel Suarez (S)(SF) 39. Bad Boy - Peter Robinson (S)(M) 40. Santa Olivia - Jacqueline Carey (F)(V) 41. Rotters - Daniel Kraus (YA) 42. The Watchtower - Lee Carrol (S)(F) 43. Iron Crowned - Rachelle Mead (S)(V)(F) 44. Downtown Owl - Chuck Klastermam 45. Rule 34 - Charles Stross (SF) (S) 46. Endangered Species (Lost novelizations) (S)(SF)(F) 47. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens ®   Chapter books read with Son 1. The Daring Adventures of Penhaligon Brush - S. Jones Rogan (2010) 2. The London Eye Mystery 3. The Curse of the Romeny Wolves - S. Jones Rogan 4. Leprechaun in Late Winter (MTH 43) 5. Crazy Day with Cobras (MTH 45) 6. Tales from the Oddessey v1 7. Tales from the Oddessey v2 8. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths 9. D'Aulares Norse Gods and Monsters ® 10. Greek something 11.Greek something 12. The Lightning Thief 13. Sea of Monsters 14. The Titan's Curse 15. The Red Pyramid 16. Abarat 17. The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury 18. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident     Started in 2010 or before, finished in 2011   In progress (if not started in 2011, starting year in parens) Ulysses - James Joyce (started 2005, completely restarted in 2011) Who Let the Dogs In - Molly Ivins (2008) (SW) (NF) Everything You Know About God is Wrong - Russ Kick (NF) (SW) (2010) Dances With Dragons - George R.R. Martin (S)(F) Halloween - Paula Guran (SW) (F) Artimis Fowl - Eoin Cofer (S)(YA)(F)       Island of the Could Not Finish   Some coding:(AOC) = Author of Color(F) = Fantasy(GN) = Graphic Novel(M) = Mystery(NF) = Non-fiction(R ) = Reread(S) = Series(SF) = Science Fiction(SW) = Short Works(V) = Vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!(YA) = Young Adult
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Maps and Legends
 

2010 Reading Analysis

This year may be the year that gets me to start tracking pages read; because while I did not come terribly close to 100 books (totaling 82 books in their entirety, 84 with the ones started before 2010, although 132/4 with the ones read with my son, but I typically don’t count those toward my own totals) I would be willing to bet that I came pretty close to my page totals for previous years, thanks largely to discovering Diana Gabaldon and rereading the entire Harry Potter series. I also did a lot of magazine and other non-tracked reading (I am not counting skimming through pregnancy and baby-care books, for example) and had a fair amount of external distraction (hello new baby and having not been totally alone in my house since May).   Just skimming, this year had fewer really short (>300 pages) YA and urban fantasy/paranormal romance sorts of books, fewer graphic novels which I tend to polish off in a few hours as most, and a lot more really dense, really long books.   Some quick totals:   82 books read in their entirety. 2 books finished from previous years. 50 chapter books read in whole or in part with my son. 4 books which I just could not finish – interestingly, all by authors that I have really enjoyed in the past and 3 of which were installments in series where I’ve enjoyed the other books.   Of the 82 books I read in full, they breakdown along my coding as follows:   Author of Color – 1 (wow, that’s pathetic) Fantasy – 44 (my most common genre this year with 5 more than last year) Graphic Novel – 19 (hum, actually 2 more than last year- but at least two of what I categorized as GN were fairly long) Mystery - 3 (way fewer straight mysteries this year than in the past – probably because I’m completely caught up with the series I read and haven’t introduced any new ones) Non-fiction – 1 Reread – 15 total rereads and 2 graphic novel adaptations where I’d read the original story, but not the adaptation Series –60 Science Fiction – 9 Short Works – 9 Vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my! – 25 (3 more than last year, maybe because I included the 7 HPs?) Young Adult – 16 (way fewer than last year and tending toward the longer end (i.e. 300 plus pages))   Interestingly, even with almost ¾ of my reading being from series, nearly half – 40 total- unique authors are represented, with 12 totally new authors this year. That’s about the same number of unique authors, although fewer new ones this year.
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Forum Updates and News
 

An Introduction to the Stash Manager

We've got a new tool that'll be released later today - the Stash Manager. It's been something people have been wanting for years (literally! There are posts from 2004 asking for stash tracking), and it's something I've always wanted to do, but with the software I built our feedback off of, I was finally able to give you - I've had planned for a few months, and like feedback, it stalled as I had to wait for a patch to be released.     What is the Stash Manager? At this point in time, it's a private tool that will allow you to keep track of what BPAL you've tried, how well you liked it, whether or not you've bought it/kept it/sold or swapped it, and your personal notes about it. It's got a few custom views, with more coming. Eventually, you'll be able to share your wishlist from the stash manager (no more having to constantly update your wishlist post - it's automatically updated from what you've entered in!).   Let's talk about the pages it's got! Your Stash Manager: On this page, you can enter in perfumes and view what you've entered in - the perfume name, whether or not you've tried it, whether or not you've bought it, whether or not you're swapping it away, your rating of it (or a note that you haven't rated it), your notes, and a button to update the scent. With your notes is also a link to your review (or a link to add a review, as applicable). It's a very good idea to rate things (as you'll see later!). Your ratings are private - not shared with the Lab or the public in any way.   Your Wishlist: This page displays what BPAL you're wanting. Eventually, I will be adding something to the User Control Panel to allow you to choose to make your wishlist visible by other people. (If you choose to make yours public, there will be two additional filters for people who viewing your wishlist: "show perfumes I have" and "show perfumes I'm swapping" - convenient for people who like to go and add frimps of things the other person likes.)   Your Inventory: This page displays your current BPAL inventory, ratings, notes. You can edit or add perfume from this view as well.   Your Current Swap, Sale, and Purchase Activity: This page shows what you're getting rid of, what you intend to get rid of, and what you're getting. Your notes are viewable here, so you can note where you're getting it from or where it's going to (and what you're getting in exchange), any pertinent dates, etc. This is just one way to help you manager your swaps outside of PMs. Eventually, I plan on having a "show all things I want to swap or have listed" pop up that will let you copy and paste everything, to easily be added to your swaps page.   Your Untried Stash: Want to know what you've got and haven't tried yet, and your cat's knocked into your carefully separated box a few times too many? This is the place to go! It'll show everything you've listed as owning, but haven't tried.   Your Unlisted Stash: Analogous to Your Untried Stash, this shows everything you haven't added yet.   Your Loves & Dislikes: This is a page that's in the works. I'm in the middle of writing a tagging system for the scent database, for notes. Once that has been completed, this page will tag clouds of notes that show up frequently on scents you dislike (rated 0-1) or on scents you liked (rated 4-5). There won't be any analysis of combinations of notes. It'll be an easy way to track this. (I know we all have a general sense of what we like, but when there's hundreds and thousands of perfumes, things can sneak by you!)   Your Recommendations: One of the biggest reasons Netflix took off - or at least, amongst my friends! - is that it'll recommend you things based off of your previous ratings and what other people rate. This is a huge project, but I think in the end, it'll be a super useful tool for new forumites and old alike. This probably won't be out until May or June.   The Swap Matchmaker: Tired of going through swap page after swap page (and then their wishlist!) to find someone that's looking for things that you're trying to get rid of and, at the same time, is trying to get rid of something you want? Never fear - this is the page for you! Like the Wishlist, you will have to opt into the Matchmaker to be able to get results beyond "you have matches!". Because members have to opt into it, and it won't give you any results if you're banned from swaps, we do consider this to be part of the swaps section - so feel free to message anyone who pops up! It's still a work in progress (I have to get the configuration part written yet), but once it's up, I'm sure many will find it super useful. Right now, it just shows you how many matches you WOULD have if it was live. (I have two!)       How to enter in perfumes There are two ways to enter in perfumes: import all of your previous reviews (from a button on the Stash Manager), or individually add them. If you import them, they import that you've tried them, but don't have them, want them, etc, so you'll have to individually edit that information into the database (along with any rating or notes you've got). You can keep importing your reviews as time goes on.     Have questions or comments about the Stash Manager? Found a bug? This topic is the place to go to let us know!
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spark's blog
 

Wishlist

I generally prefer to swap for bottles, but a number of the oils here are very "iffy" for me and I'd prefer imps/decants/sniffies of those... ask me for details.   I will do Depraved and Unholy things for more Florentine Iris (single note) Hamadryad -- NON WINTERGREEN Havisham Ingenue Lughnasadh Stargazer Lily (single note)   General Catalog Black Lily Defututa Epitaph Event Horizon Kill-Devil Kubla Kahn Lysander Night-Gaunt Oblivion Snooty Rose Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Vasilissa   GC Unimpable Amor (TAL) Bilquis Crib Girls Door Fairy Market Fairy Wine Floating Market Monna Vanna Mr. Jacquel Mr. Nancy Nanny Ashtoreth Queen of the Nile (TAL) Spider Vespillo the Velvets   Carnaval Diabolique Dionysia Tabula Smaragdina   Limited/Discontinued - Bottles or Imps Also looking for any/all empty (or very low) bottles with bird/phoenix label artwork in good condition. I birds.   Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand Ecstasy of Passion, the Fairy Market Harikata Hi'iaka Lilith vs. the Giant Crab (bottle) Luna (Metamorphosis: the Moths) (bottle) Lune Noire Marae Pais de la Canela Pet Magah Bird (partial/empty OK but I want the bottle!! ) Sachs Sibyl Soothing System Storyville Velvet Tiki Zadok Allen Vinyard   Limited/Discontinued - Imps/Decants Preferred Allison Gross Aries 2007 Banshee Beat Bogle Byronic Antihero Capricorn 2007 Crypt Queen Cytherea Dark Chocolate, Whiskey, and Cognac Truffle Dawn: Mother Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal Dole of the King's Daughter Ecstasy of Infatuation, the El Dia De Reyes Enraged Groundhog Musk Epistrophia Feast for the Greatly Revered Ones Fuwu Bansaku in Ruined Temple With Black Monster on Umbrella Gelt Gemini 2007 Goblin Gothabilly Harp of Cnoc l'Chosagair Head of Holofernes Her Voice Honey Mone I Married a Vampire from Planet X Infernal Lover, the Joyful Moon Katrina van Tassel Klara L'Estate Lady on the Grey, the Leo 2007 Loli.Goth Makhanitis Mead Moon Milk Chocolate, Coconut, Cardamom, Rum and Ginger Truffle Mlle. Lilith, Fortune Teller Mother Ginger Noche Buena Okayaki Penis Admiration Pet Magah Bird partial/empty OK but I want the bottle!! Phoenix in Autumn Picture Book and Pleasure Toys Playing With a Loaded Gun Poe Raven Moon Rosy Maple (Metamorphosis: the Moths) Sagittarius 2007 Saint Foutin de Varailles Sara Pezzini Scorpio 2007 Second of the Three Spirits Smoky Moon 2009: Tristesses de la Lune Snow Angel 2008 Soldier, the Suck It Sugar Plum Fairy Thisbe Velvet Nudie Virgo 2007 Voodoo Queen Voyeurs Among the Cherry Blossoms Waltz of the Flowers Werepuppy Ysabel
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Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

Baldessarini, Hugo Boss

Fruity wood, says the description, and that's what I smell. Interesting scent, reminds me of those fruity woody Serge Lutens scents. I like it but I don't think I'd wear it that often. I'll keep the sample unless I think of someone who would like it more.
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Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

Non-bpal fragrances

Seriously, I have way too many samples of non-bpal perfumes and colognes, that I need to test and somehow keep track of what I've tried, what I liked, and what I haven't liked. I've been doing this to a certain extent here on my blog, and I'm going to continue to do it. So far not many of them have "wowed" me to wanting a whole big bottle. I might want to get more Chanel Pour Monsieur, or maybe Parfums de Nicolai's New York.
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Sedge's Blog
 

Icons Schmicons

Man, you kids these days and your hip trends. *bandwagon*   //   And yes, it is pure coincidence that the first two icons I made were to do with the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I'm as confused as you are. Hellfire is completely apropos of nothing, other than the fact that it got that song stuck in my head.
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lamenteuse's BPAL rambles
 

Notes of love and hate

LOVE! Notes: Leather Red Musk Vanilla Dried Leaves Chocolate Ginger Black Tea Honey Woodsmoke   Scents: Death of Autumn Elephantine Colossus Invasion of the Flesh Eating Reindeer from Uranus The Soldier Mutter U Samhain (2007) Manila Shub Niggurath     DISLIKE GREATLY!   Notes: Florals! Lily, rose, and jasmine are the biggest "nooooo" Rum Sandalwood
lamenteuse

lamenteuse

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